Pittsburgh, Pa. – The No. 7 Duquesne acrobatics and tumbling team heads on the road for its third consecutive top-10 matchup Sunday afternoon, traveling to face No. 6 Fairmont State in West Virginia. The meet marks the beginning of a two-meet road trip for the Dukes.
MEET INFO
No. 7 Duquesne Dukes (2-1) at No. 6 Fairmont State (4-0, 3-0 Mountain East)
Sunday, March 15 • 2:00 PM
Feaster Center • Fairmont, W.Va.
THE DUKES
Roster • Schedule • Team Scores • Individual Scores
- Duquesne, ranked No. 7 in the NCATA, is the youngest program in the national top 10, competing in just its second season.
- The Dukes return 30 student-athletes from last year's inaugural squad, including graduate student Abby McDermott and junior Alia Ellis, while welcoming back a 28-member sophomore class. Seven freshmen joined the program this season.
- Top-10 Battles: Sunday marks Duquesne's third consecutive top-10 matchup in a stretch of four straight ranked opponents. The Dukes will conclude the run next meet at No. 1 Baylor before closing the regular season at home against No. 15 La Salle. Duquesne is 2-3 all-time against top-10 opponents, including a 1-1 mark this season. The Dukes most recently swept No. 10 Azusa Pacific in six events last week, while their first top-10 victory came against No. 3 Gannon in the program's inaugural meet last season. Duquesne has also faced No. 1 Baylor and No. 8 Iona last year, as well as No. 9 Gannon earlier this season, during its young program history.
- By The Numbers: Duquesne is averaging 256.148 points through three meets. The Dukes posted a season-high 258.670 in their win over No. 10 Azusa Pacific, after opening the season with a victory over West Liberty (255.130) and scoring 254.645 at No. 9 Gannon.
- Last Time Out: The Dukes earned a top-10 victory on March 4, sweeping all six events in a 258.670–247.390 win over No. 10 Azusa Pacific inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Duquesne broke or tied program highs in 10 heats and recorded new event highs in each of the first four events. A 9.95 in compulsory toss marked the highest single-heat score in program history, part of seven first-half heats scoring 9.75 or higher. The Dukes also set program records in pyramid (29.45) and toss (26.85), recording less than one point in total deductions in each event. The Dukes broke or tied program highs in six consecutive heats from seven-element acro through synchronized toss.
- Record Book Update: Duquesne has surpassed 14 of its 19 heat records from last season's inaugural campaign, including new program highs in all three acro heats and all three pyramid heats. Four of the six events — compulsory, acro, pyramid and toss — have already matched or exceeded previous program highs this season. Nine of the 10 first-half heats have produced new program records.
- Starting Strong: The Dukes have posted a program-best 37.10 in the compulsory event in all three meets this season and remain undefeated in the event, winning by an average margin of 2.1 points.
- Near Perfect: Duquesne has recorded three heat scores of 9.90 or higher this season. The Dukes set a program-record 9.95 in compulsory toss against Azusa Pacific, scored a 9.90 in inversion pyramid in the same meet and posted a 9.90 in five-element acro in the season opener against West Liberty.
- Weekly Honors: Junior Alia Ellis was named NCATA Specialist of the Week following the win over No. 10 Azusa Pacific, becoming the first Duke to earn the weekly honor. Ellis served as a base in all three pyramid heats as Duquesne posted a program-record 29.45 in the event. All four pyramid routines tied or set program-best scores, with the Dukes scoring 9.75 or higher in each, highlighted by a 9.90 in inversion pyramid. Ellis competed in eight heats plus the team event, with seven of those heats either tying or setting program highs.
- Full 2026 NCATA Weekly Honors
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Roster • Schedule/Results
- Fairmont State, an NCAA Division II member of the Mountain East Conference, enters Sunday with a 4-0 record and a No. 6 national ranking.
- The Falcons are averaging 261.512 points this season and have won all four meets by double-digit margins. Their victories include a tri-meet with West Liberty and West Virginia State to open the season.
- Fairmont State most recently defeated No. 10 Azusa Pacific, 257.305–246.390, on March 2.
- The Falcons finished 10-2 last season and earned the No. 5 seed in the NCATA National Championship bracket before falling to Augustana in the quarterfinals. Fairmont State also qualified three individual events for national finals, including six-element acro (third place), open pass, and Azia Shaffer competed in aerial pass.
- The Falcons have qualified for the NCATA national championship bracket in each of the last six full championship seasons.
- Fairmont State was also one of the six founding members of the NCATA during the organization's inaugural season in 2011. Duquesne is scheduled to face three founding members this season: Azusa Pacific, Baylor, and Fairmont State.
UP NEXT
- Duquesne travels to face No. 1 Baylor in Waco, Texas on Saturday, March 28. The meet is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) and will air on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE DUKES
Follow the Duquesne Acrobatics and Tumbling team all season online at
GoDuquesne.com and on
Twitter (X) and
Instagram (@duqacrotumb).
ABOUT ACROBATICS & TUMBLING
Created in 2009, Acrobatics & Tumbling is the evolution of multiple gymnastics disciplines, incorporating the athletic elements of competitive cheerleading. The sport is sponsored by 52 NCAA varsity programs, with 47 teams competing this spring and more than 1,300 student-athletes nationwide. In January, Acrobatics & Tumbling was officially elevated from an NCAA Emerging Sport to an NCAA Championship Sport and will debut its first National Collegiate Championship in spring 2027. For more information, visit
TheNCATA.org.
